The multidisciplinary team at PA Hospital Acute Cognitive Ward have been recognised at this year’s International Nurses Day Awards for invaluable specialty care they provide in one of the hospital’s more challenging settings.

Taking out Team of the Year, the specialist team who mostly work within the hospital’s Acute Cognitive Unit on Banksia ward provide care for people with severe behaviour and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD).

“Our team encompasses Geriatricians, Specialist nurses, Leisure Therapists, Social Workers, Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists to ensure we are providing the best holistic care for our patients,” said Banksia Ward Nurse Unit Manager, Philip Dickson.

“It’s an honour to have been recognised at this year’s awards.”

Since the Unit’s inception in January 2020, the team have been working to reduce the severity of BPSD in independently mobile inpatients with dementia while reducing burden of care, rates of occupational violence, falls and pressure injuries reported in hospital wards that refer to the ACU, as well as on the Banksia ward.

“In the two years since the ACU was implemented, we have seen positive improvements across the board.”

The ACU has received an innovation grant from Metro South Research to evaluate the units success. The research lead, Dr Frederick Graham, reported that “Behaviours significantly improved after admission into the ACU with aggression deceasing 56% and agitation by 28%,”

“Three referring wards from internal medicine also reported a 28.5% decrease in falls, 24.6% decrease in pressure injuries and 40% decrease in occupational violence in mobile patients with dementia.”

Investment in ACU staff through training and capacity building initiatives have formed a culture of success, evidenced by this win and current BPA results.

Congratulations team!